Self-defense firearm



Dec. 9, 1930. J. H. wEsTLUND 1,784,563

SELF DEFENSE FIREARM Filed Dec. 24, 1928 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 JOHNV H. WESTLUNID, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA o SELF-DEFENSE FIREARM Appiicaaon mea December 24, 192s. serial No. 328,128.

rl`he object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a firearm and a method for mounting it` on the body and for providing connections' whereby the fire arm may be discharged by an inconspicuous movement such as a raising of the shoulder and whereby such discharge may be effected regardless of the position of the body or of the arms or hands of the wearer A further object of the invention is to provide an improved self-defense firearm for effectively protecting peace officers, bank clerks, messengers and the like, from'holdup men and robbers.

A further object is to provide an improved safety7 latch and releasing means to prevent accidental discharge of the firearm.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means to protect the clothing of the wearer from the effects of flame from the discharge of the firearm.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a View illus tratingl my improved firearm in position for practical use.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a side elevation with the casing cover in open position to disclose the firearm itself. Y

Figure t is a vertical section `on the line ll-l of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Figure 3. Y

F igure 6 is a detail section onthe line 6-6 of Figure 3, illustrating particularly a latching means for the cover of the casing.

of a revolver of special construction, which is mounted in a casing adapted to be worn on a personsbelt and to have a strap or similar draft means extended from the trigger over one shoulder, whereby the revolver may be cocked and discharged in any direction by raising ofthe shoulder, such operation being possible irrespective of the position of thebody or of theA arms or` hands.

vIn the accompanying drawings, l have employed the numeral lO'to indicate generally, a casing, .whichis ot irregular shape and is provided with a cover ymember 11 pivotally connectedto the lower margin of the casing by a hinge 12. The casing 10 is formed at its rear end with a loop 13 and at its forward end with a fiange 111 formed with a vertical slot 15. ,The loop 13 and slotted fia-nge 14 preferably are inclined away from the plane of the casing 10 and are designed to engage a belt such as 16, which may be worn about a person.

The casing 10 is provided at its forward end with a spring latch member 17 adapted to engage a pinor lug 18 on the cover member 11.` A suitable latching means preferably isprovided at the rear end of the casing and in this instance I have illustrated a spring latch member 19` fixed to the inner wall of the casing and having a lip 2O for Vengaging a shoulder 21 on` the inner `wall of the cover member.

The spring latch 19 is formed with a thumb piece 22 extendingr outside of the casing and adapted to ,be manually depressed for releasing-the latch. It is to be understood, however, that any suitable latching means may be provided for normally holding the cover in closed position. Y

The casing 'l0 and its cover member lllare together, designed to receive and inclose a revolver of special construction, including a frame 23, a cylinder 24e, for receiving a pluralityof cartridges, ashort barrel 25 and a hammer 26. Therevolver also includes a trigger 27, the main portion of whichiextends in aysubstantially horizontal direction at one side of the frame 23 and terminates `in aloop or eye 28. i My improved self-defense firearmconsists The revolver tits snugly within the casing and its cover member in inverted position, namely with the barrel 25 at the bottom part of the casing and proj ecting slightly through a circular opening formed in the forward ends ofthe casing and its cover. In such position, the trigger 27 lis uppermost and it projects partially through a slot 29 formed y at the top and'forward end of the casing and its cover.V

When the trigger 27 has itsvforward end raised, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, it operates to move the hammen 26 first to cocked position, as indicated by dotted lines and then to permit the `revolver mechanism to trip the trigger and permit itV torinove forwardly to impact-with a car'- tridge in the cylinder 25t-r for discharging the gun. 1

VYIn this connectiony it maywbe notedthat the revolver is not particularly different from the common and Vwell known construeA tion except that it preferably is of small dimensions and hasV its frame shaped for' Yconvenient mounting in a casing and *alsoV Y Y is attached to the trigger 27 and extends up- Y has'. its trigger extending in f approximately horizontalposition instead of being extended laterally and perhaps curved for engagement-bythe finger for nri'ng purposes.`

A strap or other suitable draft 'member wardly` and over one of the shoulders of the wearer and thence downwardly and has its opposite A,end suitably attached preferably to the opposite side of the belt from the point where the easing is mounted.` A convenient method vof attaching the draft member 3Q to the trigger is by means of a snap l'engag- 'ing the eye or loop 28, as shown.

l It is also desirable to provide additional means for anchoring the firearm or holding it against bodily movement when draft is 'applied to tlie-memberBO'. Such anchoring `meansmaylincludea strap-32 engaging aV support 33 in thejlower part ofthe flange 14 and extending around one leg of the wearer', as illustrated inrligure l and then having its opposite endr suitably attached.

y An additional or substitute anchoring 'means maybe composed of astrap '34 engaging 'a slotted opening 35 in the upper part for Charanga 14 mi extending over uit beit 16 and engaging abuttonor other member on the clothingof the wearer.

Y -When the mechanism is vassembled and mounted as' shown and described, a raising :the shoulder and yet, to requireapurpose-- ofthe shoulder of thefwearer, asV indicated by dotted lines in'Figure l, is'eifecti've toapply draft tothe memberBO for raising the trigger 27 and cooking and firing the 'revolver, the barrel of. which, of course,'is directed forwardly; or rearwardly'if desired,

.and in approximately a horizontal'p'osieV tion. Care ofcourse should be takenpto adjust the draft member() inorder-toget the desired result by an"upward movementV of ful lifting of the `shoulderto a considerable degree before the firing can be accomplished. It' is obvious that by this means the firing .operation may be acf'zomplished :in nearly 'Y any position of the bodyk ofthe wearerz and regardless ofthe position 'ofhis' hands-and Vlatch by taking a deep breathontensingthe i' 'abdominal muscles to exert an outward'pres! 'bur Y arms. It follows therefore, that this mecha-k nism provides very ecient self-defense means against robbers and holdup men.

in Figure 3, I have shown the flange 14 of the casing as formed with an oloeningwti` 70 which may be employed: for receiving attachment ofthesnap 3l incase the wearer wishes to detach thed'raft means from the trigger at times when heV does not anticipate Y f 75 thatthe firearm willwbe required for use.

it-timeait may bedesirableto provide a safety` means 'which will require purposeful release before the rer'olver can be fired, thereby further prevent accidental discharge. l"the safety meansis particularly shown in be *Y Y S8 ou the forward end ofthe casing. The

latchniember has at 'ts upper end, a laterally i directed nose whichV extends-V loosely tiirough an openingfin ,the flange le 'and projects above theV forward end' portion of thev Y trigger 27'. rlhe lowerendportion of the latch member 3'? is provided with anenlargement or pad 4l() and when the mechanism is in position said pad rests against the body Y of the wearer in the abdominal region.

Vlatch member normally is held in latching position by means of a coil vspring ll mminteelic` between the pad member e0 The portion of the fiangelll.`

gurr'es 2 and-4f` and includes a latch inemi'l' pivoted between its ends at thepoint e and the adjacent y When'the person wearing the firearm de,-

sir'es to 'discharge it, he caii'release the safej7 sure en ,the pad 4:0, thereby osc'il1 ice e :ating the Y Vmen'iber 87. andfmoi'iing'thev noses@` out off engagement with thetriggei'. lVhile holdV ing the latch member in this released posi-L` tion, 'the further movement of raisingthe shoulder is carried outfso 'i `of the gun.

as to cause a n central aperture to receive the removable cylinder pin 43, which holds th'ef-cylinder in desirable to' provide means is'mounted over the forward end.,

of the cylinder 2li and is provided with a "115 place.- The substancel of which the dish l2' 2 is'composed is easily punetured by a bullet and it serves to keep the flame *fromcontact-` ing with the clothing Y lf desired, newdisflrV Ll2* maybe insertedeach time therevolver isv vloaded.

By mounting the-revolver ininverted po-f sition and attaching to its horiiontally ex-" tending trigger a draft lmember arranged to extendg'lover the shoulder offthewearer, I.; have provided an eincient fselfldefense' firefarm which 7 can be 'n operated read-ilyifby the ,i

'simplemovei'nent ofraising the shoulder. .It

CSI

will also be noted that ordinarily, the entire mechanism is covered and concealed by the clothing. l

l claim as my invention:

l. A self-defense firearm, comprising a casing adapted to be mounted on the person, a revolver having a barrel projecting outwardly of the casing and also having a trigger arranged in substantially horizontal position, said revolver being carried in inverted position in the casing with the trigger uppermost, and a draft member attached to said trigger and extended over the shoulder of the wearer, whereby a raising of the shoulder will lift said trigger for cooking and firing the revolver.

2. A self-defense firearm, comprising a casing adapted to be mounted on the person, a revolver having a barrel projecting ont wardly of the casing and also having a trigger arranged in substantially horizontal position, a draft member attached to said trigger and extended over the shoulder of the wearer, whereby a raising of the shoulder will lift said trigger for cooking and iiring the revolver, and a safety latch normally engaging said trigger to prevent its operation, said latch being movable to inoperative position by a pressure of body muscles thereagainst.

3. A self-defense firearm comprising a revolver having a trigger adapted for actnation to cock and fire a charge, means for suspending the revolver near the waist of a person, a draft member attached to said trigger, extended upwardly over a body member of the wearer and suitably attached, whereby a lifting movement of the body member will actnate the trigger and discharge the revolver, a safet latch engaging said trigger and normally iolding it against actuation, said latch being movable to inoperative position by a dierent and independent body movement of the wearer.

fl. A self-defense firearm comprising a revolver having a trigger adapted for actua-` tion to cock and fire a charge, means for suspending the revolver near the waist of'a person, and a draft member attached to said trigger, extended over a shoulder of the wearer and suitably attached, whereby a lifting movement of the shoulder will actuate the trigger and discharge the revolver, together with a spring-held safety latch engaging said trigger and normally holding it against actuation, said latch being movable to inoperative position by a different and independent body movement on the part of the wearer. t

5. A self-defense firearm, comprising a casing formed with loops for engaging the belt of a wearer, a cover member for said casing, a revolver having an elongated substantially horizontal trigger, said casing and cover member forming an enclosure for supporting said revolver, and a draft member attached to the trigger of the revolver and extended over a shoulder of the wearer and suitably anchored, whereby an inconspicuous lifting movement of the shoulder will actuate the trigger for discharging the revolver.

6. A self-defense firearm, comprising a casing formed with loops for engaging the belt of a wearer, a cover member for said casing, a revolver, said casing and cover member forming an enclosure for supporting said revolver, a draft member attached to the trigger of the revolver and extended over a shoulder of the wearer and suitably anchored, whereby a slight lift-ing movement of the shoulder will actuate the trigger for discharging the revolver, and separate means for anchoring said casing relative to the body of the wearer to hold it against movement when strain is applied to said draft member.

7. A self-defense firearm, comprising a casing formed with loops for engaging the belt of a wearer, a cover member for said casing, a revolver, said casing and cover member forming an enclosure for supporting said revolver, said casing being provided with means for permitting a partial projection of the barrel and trigger of the revolver, a draft member attached to the trigger of the revolver and extended over a shoulder of the wearer and suitably anchored, whereby a slight lifting movement of the shoulder will actuate the trigger for discharging the revolver, and a safety latching means for normally preventing movement of said trigger.

8. In a firearm having a revolving cylinder for holding a plurality of cartridges, and a removable pin on which said cylinder is mounted, a safety means comprising a sheet of substantially non-inflammable material mounted on said pin in front of said cylinder, said sheet adapted to be puiictured by a bullet when the firearm is discharged and to prevent the spread of flame from such disu charge.

Des Moines, Iowa, December 18, 1928.

JOHN H. WTESTLND. 

